In somewhat of a tradition, I’d like to take an opportunity to spread my thanks considering Thanksgiving is only a day away here in the U.S. There is plenty to go around but this year, I’d like to especially thank those who translate WordPress, Plugins, and Themes into different languages. While I don’t know the technicalities involved with the translation process, I know the importance these translations have for the WordPress Project. These translations enable WordPress to be used all across the world in their native tongue which is awesome and really expands the reach of the software.

The last time I checked, WordPress was available in about 66 different languages. All of these translations are possible thanks to volunteers. These translators are the primary reason why WordPress has an international following. However, there are more than 66 different languages in use across the world today and if you’re interested in translating WordPress into your specific language, check out the following resources.

I18n for WordPress Developers – I18n is an abbreviation for internationalization, or the process of making an application ready for translation. In the WordPress case it means marking strings, which should be translated in a special way. It is called i18n, because there are 18 letters between the I and the n. Explains how to make your plugin, theme, or application built on top of WordPress I18n compliant.

Files That Need Direct Translation – This Codex article is in need of editing but it contains a list of files up to WordPress 2.6 that need direct translations applied to them.

WP-Polyglots Mailing List – The wp-polyglots mailing list has been created keeping the needs of translators in mind. If you are interested in translating WordPress to suit your locale and language preferences, or would like to get involved in discussions regarding the same, consider joining this list. Also check out the Polyglots mailing list archive.

GlotPress – GlotPress is a new project by Nikolay. GlotPress will be a web-based translation tool similar to how WordPress is a web-based publishing tool. To see how it’s already being used, read this recently published post on the WordPress.com blog.

Comments

Definately thankful for the WordPress community. Granted, there’s been a lot of discussions regarding the question if the WP community is a thankful community or not etc. But there’s no other community that pushes WordPress more forward to become smarter, better and more beautiful. No other community that supports new WP services or websites. It’s great.

Though there’s no Thanksgiving in Europe, a huge Thank you to the community!